Little Talbot Island State Park Campground

Not my first choice but it was the only state park around with campsites available when I made reservations in January 2022 for my trip in March. You have to check in at the park office, the campground itself is across the road, with unpaved access to the campsites. My site was very spacious, shaded by huge trees with moss hanging down their branches, very picturesque. All sites have water and electricity; restrooms/showers were clean. The campground was good for tents and small campers, large RVs are likely to have a tough time maneuvering the tight loop at the end of the campground and/or getting into some of the sites. I used this campground as a base for visiting nearby state parks, Fort Clinch and Big Talbot Island, as well as Amelia Island, which I found to be more interesting to explore.

Our site was very big, However, most of the other sites were small so check the park map. We had great views looking out over the marsh and watching the sunset. The campground was very quiet and well-maintained. We really liked campsites 38, 39, and 40. We would recommend reservations. The Rangers were very welcoming and knowledgeable about the parks. Bring your bikes or you can rent them if you’d like to go on a nice long ride down the beach or over the beautiful boardwalks. The ocean requires one to drive across a busy street away from the campground but the beach is beautiful and secluded. Bathrooms were clean. We went on the nature walk which is located near the ranger station. It was an easy 4 mile walk. Great stroll through the North Florida forest ending with the last mile walk down the beach. Don’t go at high tide because there may not be any beach. We found the dunes to be uncharacteristic of a flat Florida as they really rose toward the heavens. You will need to get a gate code to enter the campgrounds. Be sure to plan accordingly if you’re having a late arrival.

This is a wonderful State Park. The reason for 3 stars is no sewer hookup and while the park is rated for 30 foot campers, we had a difficult time parking our 30 foot travel trailer.

The Good
Wonderful white sand beaches, and access to the backcountry with kayak.. Bugs where not a problem, and every camp site had shade. Nearby is Mayport which offers the most fresh seafood, and north is Fernandina Beach with shopping and resturants.

The Bad
Narrow roads, lots of trees with low lying branches, make it difficult to to maneuver a 30 travel trailer, and I suspect impossible for a 5th wheel. Lack of sewage system limits stay. However, that may be a good thing for the tourist don't stay in this park all winter.

Our YouTube Video
https://youtu.be/l3kb3l16iHI

Little Talbot Island is a thankfully overlooked gem in NE Florida. While Fl. State Parks are hard to to get into, because they are so desirable, Lil’ Talbot lives in beautiful obscurity. Offering one of Florida’s most pristine beaches and a campground nestled in a coastal oak hammock protected on it’s west side by salt marsh estuary. That oak hammock offers a shade that makes summer camping in Florida possible but limits the size of rig that can fit. Far from the madding crowds of Disney this is where the natives recharge. The park also offers hiking, beach, and a bike trail on the next two islands to the north that can fill a day’s adventures. Fernandina Beach to the north is a historic town that has embraced it’s past and present equally well, providing dining from gourmet to messy blue crab feasts. So given all that I would suggest you don’t come go to Disney Wilderness Village and leave Little Talbot to me.:)

Be sure to bring your fishing poll, the fishing is great. The park is on the clean side of parks I have seen, the roads are not paved and the lots are very natural and large. The bathrooms are good and there is a place to do laundry. As for things to the zoo is very close and so is horse back riding and the beach lol there’s plenty to keep you busy. It has some mosquitoes but that is to be expected this is a Florida just bring some off and you’ll be fine.

We enjoyed this state park very much. Only stayed one night. It was a little buggy, but we are still getting use to the Florida bugs, which might be worse then Alaska. Went for a Kayak and it was truly beautiful the channel was alive with fish. Although it can get shallow at low life know your path if you go out at low tide. We couldn't enjoy the beach because we have a dog so we drove a little north and let our dog run on Amelia Island, also no dogs, but if you can drive on a beach, god be dammed I'm going to let my dog run on it.

Arrival at this fabulous park can be a little daunting if you don't realize you first turn into the park, pull over into a designated area - while trying to talk to the Ranger - but only pull over. After you pull over, then get out and go inside the Ranger station. We pulled up to the Ranger - who stands outside to greet you as they see you coming. But then he said to pull over, but we had to back up our rig to pull into the spot for RVs. Then you have to turn around, and cross over A1A. The Rangers are the best at welcoming you and answering any questions.

Little Talbot Island State Park campground is what you might expect on a Little Island; but it has water, electric, picnic tables, clothes line and a fire ring as well as relatively clean bathrooms and showers. We were glad we were in an RV, but this campground seems better designed for tents or pop-ups. We thought we had one of the best sites for an RV, except it was narrow. It was very private, with only one neighbor out our back window. But there was enough space and foliage to not make it "in the window." We had rain and/or clouds every day. Aside from the weather, here are the good points:
-Private
-full of nature
-family oriented
-fabulous outdoor activities from beach combing, kayaking, hiking in a hammock, fishing, birding, bike riding, small museum, wildlife, knowledgeable Park Rangers
-Relatively quiet, in most parts of the campground (but A1A borders the outside and there were a few hot rods/motorcycles that like to drive a bit too fast/noisily)
The only negatives:
-if it rains, it can be pretty miserable if you are in a tent. The road and ground is sandy/dirt. So you will have ruts and a bumpy ride in and puddles for the children to splash in!
-the sites are narrow and some are close together.
-when it rains, it is hard to keep the floors in the bathrooms and showers clean.
I've uploaded a blog that tells all about the State Park which has so much to offer if you like nature and the outdoors.